California is 6% of our 100 million acre state. Other states that have any kind of normal population are about 10 to 12 percent developed. A million new acres even in California built on existing infrastructure designed to be sustainable, absolutely walkable. That is a conceit held here as dogma in the name of the environment. And it's another baby boomer mistake.
The lack of affordable housing in the U.S. has contributed to a homelessness crisis and has forced people to move farther away from urban centers. Inevitably, that increases car travel and emissions. One solution is to increase density in areas where jobs and infrastructure exist to accommodate more people. But some aren’t comfortable with the idea of their neighborhoods growing, and building multi-story apartments in urban cores usually costs more per square foot than one or two-story houses where land is cheaper. So how do we address both the need for affordable housing and the climate crisis?
Guests:
Scott Wiener, California State Senator
Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight
Ben Bartlett, Berkeley Vice Mayor
For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices